A blog behind bars

We’re back!

Hello Everyone!

The first printing of my father’s autobiography, This Bank Robber’s Life: The Life and Fast Times of Patrick “Paddy” Mitchell sold out fast. People keep asking for it, and demand is growing as a result of buzz about the making of a major motion picture about Paddy and the Stopwatch Gang. For these reasons, it gives me great pleasure to announce a second printing of the book, as well as the first release of an e-book version of it.

Join Paddy on his journey from a regular blue collar family man, as he rises through the ranks of America’s Most Wanted fugitives. From a million dollar gold heist, to dozens of meticulously planned and hugely successful bank robberies, to several daring prison escapes, Paddy was the leader and mastermind of the notorious Stopwatch Gang. They stole millions of dollars without ever firing a shot, and lived like rock stars. They even earned the grudging respect of journalists and law enforcement officers throughout North America.

Paddy always said, “There have been many stories told and written, but nobody’s got the story right yet.” This Bank Robber’s Life is Paddy’s version of this incredible story. It’ll have you laughing, crying and always on the edge of your seat. Enjoy the ride!

Before Paddy passed away in 2007, he also penned a novel entitled The Great Plane Robbery.
Was it truth or was it fiction? All Paddy would say was “It was in my sights.”

As an added bonus, the first 50 book orders coming from me will include a personal hand-written note from Paddy with his highly sought-after thumb-print. While incarcerated in the notorious Leavenworth Penitentiary, Paddy wrote over 200 personal notes on stickers, with his thumb-print, that he wanted to add to each and every book that would be sold (just as a personal touch). I still have some of these personal notes which I will include in each book until I run out. Definitely a collector’s item!

My condolences, truly. I’m sorry I’m late with them.
I did not know your father, but my stepdad did. He’s basically my dad to be honest, it’s such a silly distinction.

Today I was sitting at the granite island in my parent’s house, waiting for some burgers I had made to pan-fry and get perfect.
My stepfather, Al, came inside from working on one or another of his motorized projects outside.
Something on the TV that I was streaming, some sort of crime fiction show, reminded him of his acquaintance (or maybe even friend, I didn’t want to push him to define it) Paddy Mitchell.
I asked a question here and there, but as always, my stepfather’s stories come pouring out…given the correct questions 🙂 It’s taken a while to know what to ask to get a good story, truth be told.

He never worked closely with your father but had shared a beer quite often with him….before, after, etc….while doing stopwatch things.
My stepfather also said that many years after your dad had been put on the most wanted list, that while going for dinner with his wife at the time, he had ran into your father.

I asked my stepdad what had happened- – he said he was walking into a restaurant with his then-wife —my stepdad pulled the door open for his wife —at the same time, your dad was walking out of the very same restaurant. This was after my stepdad hadn’t seen him for years and had certainly caught more than a couple whiffs of other situations where your dad was wanted and craftily, was gone with the wind.

Anyway, according to my stepdad, they met eyes, and in that moment had a brief hello (minus words of course).

My stepdad never said a word. His wife a (literally) a few words, on the way from dinner, according to my stepfather:
“Was that who I think it was,” she asked,
“Well who did you think it was?” He replied, question in turn,
“You know who I thought it was,” she said to him.

“It was who you thought it was,” he said back to her.

This is just one of many stories I’ve heard.

There are so many wild ones, maybe you can relate?

I’m not trying to come out of the woodwork and capitalize monetarily….but upon typing that, you know what? I AM trying to capitalize in terms of the plump, wild, beckoning story my stepdad just told me.
These kinds of stories just don’t happen anymore. This kind of thing is the Neverland.
It’s the clouds in the sky.
It’s the promise behind gambling,
it’s the hope behind sunday mass.
It’s something that while not satisfactorily tangible, is indeed worth sinking your incisors into…

I’m not trying to sell you anything. Promise. PROMISE.

But — What would you think about meeting up with myself and my stepdad to discuss things you and he may have heard —those wild stories that will never be recreated unless we take action- those wild stories that could be lost forever without your help, without anyone documenting anything?
And yes… I know there have been books. Gorgeous books. What truly perplexes me is how this hasn’t been turned into a ‘based on a true story’ movie yet. But that’s not, i promise it is not, my focus….

Meeting with my stepdad, to go over the stories he has (with hopefully the stories you have, or maybe we could even bring others from that time/group) would be amazing. My stepdad has gone his life being a guy who didn’t tell stories about things like this… but i think enough time has passed now that’s he’s opening up.

It would just for a coffee or two, promise.

After all this….

What are the chances that you even still look at this email address,

what are the chances my writing would ever be good enough to convey how magical these two hours of my day were today just listening to my stepdad regale me with one sole story of your dad,

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About Paddy

After a long and action-packed career as Canada's favourite bank robber and prison escape artist, Paddy Mitchell retired and wrote about his adventures from a maximum security prison in the US.
Paddy passed away on January 14, 2007.